Department of Economics

Our research

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Researching the economics of contemporary and globally relevant issues

We are 4th in UK for research power in economics and econometrics (Times Higher Education research power measure, REF 2021). Our team of creative and committed academics examine how economics touches every part of our lives.

Our Department houses two research centres and four broad research clusters. When our students join the Department, they become part of this active research community which nurtures collaborative research both within the University of Essex and beyond. The breadth of our research enables us to offer a wide-ranging programme of study and research degrees to students, and ensures our expertise is relevant to local, national, and international organisations and policy makers.

The Department also benefits from close working relationships with a number of leading research facilities, archives and institutes, including ESSEXLab, the UK Data Archive and the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Use the links below to visit our cutting-edge research structures and learn more about the exciting research taking place within the Department.

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Want to know more about our work on Applied Economics?

The conference is open to PhD students at all stages of study, as well as to early career researchers who have completed their PhD in the academic year 2022-23. This two-day conference is designed to provide PhD students in Applied Economics with the opportunity to come together and connect with other PhD students from institutions across the globe in a supportive environment in which they can present their work and ideas to their peers and receive valuable feedback.

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Discover the Department of Economics research newsletter

From conferences to grant successes stay up-to-date with the latest research from the Department of Economics via our research newsletter.

Read our research newsletter

Our research clusters

Our research is organised around four broad clusters, within each cluster you will find even further specialism:

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Read our discussion paper series

The Department of Economics has published a discussion paper series since the 1960's. This comprehensive series reflects the changing research interests of the Department, and provides a useful resource for researchers.

Visit the discussion paper series

Our research centres

Our research centres focus on specific areas of interest whilst fostering collaborative research links, both within the University of Essex and beyond:

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Explore our research

Discover cutting edge research from the University of Essex. Browse our site to find relevant publications, projects, groups, centres, postgraduate opportunities for research supervision and wider areas of interest. Simply search our site to find information relating to your subject.

Search our research

Highlights of our research

Papers

To search for specific topics related to your research interests, please utilise our research site search.

To view all publications published by the Department of Economics within the year 2020, please visit the research repository.

Press

Our academic staff frequently feature within the wider press and media. Below are some examples of their latest appearances:

Events

The Department hosts many research events throughout the academic year. A staple of our calendar are the five research seminar series, in which we host many well known external speakers. You can read more about our research seminar series by visiting our Departmental events page:

 

Discover our research seminar series

Research facilities, archives and institutes

The Department of Economics benefits from very close working relationships with a number of research facilities and structures, both within and beyond the University of Essex:

ESSEXLab:

ESSEXLab is a cutting-edge laboratory dedicated to pioneering social science research. Members of the Department of Economics are able to access this state of the art facility and gain access to a diverse database of over 2500 participants. ESSEXLab enables you to conduct your research in a truly adaptive environment and leverage the support of a multi-disciplinary team of expert laboratory staff. The laboratory is also equipped with portable equipment to support in the field research.

 

Visit ESSEXLab 

UK Data Archive:

The UK Data Archive (UKDA) is located within the University of Essex and is home to the the UK's largest digital collection of social sciences and population research data from the past 50 years. The UKDA provides researchers and students with training and support to access and utilise the data housed here. Members of the Department of Economics are able to benefit from our close working relationship with this unique and valuable resource.

 

Visit the UK Data Archive

 

Institute for Social and Economics Research:

The Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) hosts a world-class team of research and survey experts, specialising in the production and analysis of longitudinal data. Originally established in 1989 at the University of Essex to house the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), ISER has grown into a leading centre for the production and analysis of longitudinal studies. The Department of Economics fosters close ties with ISER, and this active collaboration enriches the environment for members of our research community.

ISER encompasses the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change (MISOC) and the successor to the BHPS, Understanding Society. ISER also houses the new Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis (CeMPA) which is a world-leading centre for research on distributional analysis and microsimulation in the social sciences.

 

 Visit the Institute for Social and Economic Research 

Research grants and funding opportunities

The Department of Economics is a rich environment for active research. Our academics have been awarded many high profile research grants to investigate everything from crowdfunding to women's rights. Some of our most recent notable grant awards include:

  • A Philip Leverhulme Prize was awarded to Professor Friederike Mengel. More details about the 2019 awards can be found on the Philip Leverhulme website.
  • An ESRC grant was awarded to Dr Cristoph Siemroth and Professor Simon Weidenholzer for their research on "Investor Behaviour in the Age of Fintech: Crowdfunding, Copy Trading and Robo-Advisors". More details about their research can be found on the UKRI website.
  • An ESRC grant was awarded to Dr Cristoph Siemroth for his research on "Experiments on the Effects of Trading Algorithms on Financial Markets". More details about Dr Siemroth's research can be found on the UKRI website.

If you are a researcher seeking funding for your research, please visit the staff directory to learn more about current opportunities:

 

Research funding opportunities and guidance

Further one-to-one support is available from the Research Development Managers for the Faculty of Social Sciences. Please contact:

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Contact us
Departmental Director of Research Dr Abhimanyu Gupta
University of Essex
Department of Economics University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Telephone: 01206 872728